Peeta's 'Mission
by abugsaunt
Summary: A oneshot alternate scene from my story The Games We Played. Peeta is part of the sniper squad and is about to leave for his first mission. Cato is his boyfriend and not a member of the squad. Both are part of District 13's rebellion after being rescued from the arena of the 75th Hunger Games. Will they admit their feelings? I'm not very good at summaries.


_**Peeta's 'Mission**_

**Hi everyone! This is just a short quick one-shot related to my story **_**The Games We Played**_**. It is the other way a small part of my story could've gone. For those that haven't read my story, here is a brief summary to catch you up.**

_Peeta was beat by his mother, kicked out, and fostered by the Hawthorne family. He meets people from the long thought dead District 13 and trains to become a rebel. At the age of 17, he finds himself and 5 of his friends from District 12 participating in the 75__th__ annual Hunger Games against 66 other tributes. During training for the games, he meets 6 other tributes who have also trained for the rebellion. He realizes he is attracted to one tribute, one of the male tributes from District 2 - Cato. The 12 tributes form an alliance, work well together, and add yet one more to their group when she saves Cato's life. Cato and Peeta officially became a couple during the games. Despite losing some of their group, they are rescued from the arena and taken to District 13. In 13, Peeta becomes a member of the sniper squad while Cato does not. This is an alternate version of the morning Peeta leaves for his mission._

Cato helps Peeta pack his bag. When Peeta goes into the bathroom to grab his toiletries, Cato slips a note into Peeta's bag that he wrote the night before. When Cato goes in to brush his teeth, Peeta grabs the note he had written and the watch that was his token in the games, stuffing them in his pocket to give to Cato later. When Cato comes out, he grabs Peeta's bag in one hand and, as soon as their out the door, Peeta's hand in his other. Peeta was off on his first mission as part of the sniper squad to try to capture President Snow's own tribute soldier. Of the 3 that Snow had, Peeta was really hoping it wouldn't be Leonitus. The fact that he wanted Peeta for his own was a major factor, the other being the starring role he played in his nightmares in which Cato dies.

They arrive in the hangar with 5 minutes to spare. Cato hands the bag to a District 13 member who is loading the hovercraft before facing Peeta and wrapping his arms around him. Neither was sure how long Peeta would be gone, it could be a day, and it could be longer.

Peeta didn't want to go on this mission – not without Cato. Cato was his rock, his guiding light through the dark madness of his nightmares, the only person who could calm him after. Who would be there to reassure him that Cato was alive and well if he was stuck in District 8 for any length of time? And there was still the matter of admitting to the blue eyed man in his arms that he was in love with him. He isn't sure when it happened; only that he hasn't found a way to let him know.

Cato was holding Peeta close, not willing to let him go. He thinks back to the night of his nightmare, the death of _his_ Peeta still vivid in his memory, and how Peeta was able to calm him down. The older boy realized soon after Peeta calmed him that he loved the younger blonde that he was now holding in his arms. Now he had to figure out how to tell him. It would be easier if that idiot Finnick O'dair hadn't broken Peeta's heart a year ago. That Finnick had thought he could win Peeta back was laughable. You don't shatter someone's heart and expect them to welcome you back with open arms. It was Peeta's damaged heart that kept him from admitting his feelings to him.

"I'm going to miss you," Peeta says, his face in Cato's chest.

Cato squeezes him. "I'll miss you too," he says.

They pull apart just far enough to look into one another's eyes, ignoring all that is going on around them. So deep into each other, they don't see the rest of the squad arrive until Boggs speaks.

"Alright squad, say your final goodbyes and let's load up," he says before going over and waiting on the ramp.

Peeta tightens his hold on Cato and feels him do the same. They share a kiss that is filled with love and a touch of fear – things they can't say to each other. As soon as they separate, Peeta hands Cato the watch and note from his pocket before joining Clove and heading towards the ramp. Suddenly Cato calls out.

"Peeta!" he yells.

Peeta turns and looks at Cato confused.

"I – I love you!" Cato stutters loudly.

Peeta runs back to Cato, jumping into his arms wrapping his arms and legs around him, kissing him with the all the love and passion he had been holding back. They only break apart when they hear Boggs clear his throat.

Peeta, still in Cato's arms, looks into Cato's eyes. "I love you too." he admits smiling wide before giving Cato a quick kiss and unwrapping his legs. "I gotta go," he says before turning and boarding the hovercraft. He turns and waves good bye to Cato as the door closes.

**So, like I said it's short but I debated with myself for 2 days on which version should be posted. And there are other differences as well. But have to admit I liked the version I ultimately included in the original story better.**


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